


First Encounter

by herohelio



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Pokemon Battles, Writing Exercise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:41:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26900797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herohelio/pseuds/herohelio
Summary: When he first met Gold, Silver was spying on Professor Elm's laboratory.
Relationships: Hibiki | Ethan & Silver
Kudos: 4





	First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> originally written back in february, I'm cleaning out my google drive lol :D

When he first met Gold, Silver was spying on Professor Elm’s laboratory.

To be clear, he wasn’t “spying” at the time. Or at least, Silver didn’t consider it spying. More like a calculated observation that required him to be in the vicinity of those he expressed an interest in. It wasn’t spying. Spying was something done in the dead of night, decked out in all black with gear. It was midday and the clothes on his back were the same ones he’d been wearing since he left. He was not spying.

Repeating that mantra over and over in his head, he hid behind the side of the building. Voices drifted from a window above him, and he was lucky to be tall enough to peer through it without much effort. Bookcases, stacked with files and thick binders, lined the walls, along with big clunky machines which whirred loudly enough that he could hear them from outside. Researchers walked about, most chatting or running tests.

“So this is the famous Elm laboratory...” He muttered.

Many seemed to approach one in general, a tall man with glasses standing near a table. Freshly painted red lacquer coated three balls on the table, which could only mean—

Those were the Pokéballs. The Pokéballs with the Johto starters.

Starters were strong. They were nothing compared to the weakling Pokémon he’d encounter in the forests. Especially when they’d evolve, and they’d be even stronger than before.

That kind of strength would be useful. People would listen to him. Just like father.

“Hey!”

Silver whirled around, expecting one of the researchers, maybe the police, or a regular adult. The figure that greeted him was none of the sorts. It was a boy, no older than him, scrawny with black hair that poked out from under his backward cap. A backpack slung on his shoulder, filled with things as if he were to go on a long journey and a PokéGear wrapped around.

The kid could call the police. Silver spoke before he could get another word in, “What are you looking at?”

The kid shrugged, his head bobbing up and down. There was a stripe down his hat, bright yellow, almost golden in the sunlight. “Nothing. What are you doing—Hey!”

Silver shoved him aside, watching the kid fall back. The boy’s eyes widened, staring at him in shock before getting up. Silver expected him to run off and cry to an adult, maybe scream or charge at him, or a mixture of both. He did none of the above and instead walked back up to him.

“Sorry if I scared you! My name’s Ethan!” He said, unfazed and smiling at him. “Ethan Aurelius. Everyone calls me Gold though.”

Gold extended a hand to him. Silver ignored it and scowled. “I wasn’t scared. Go away.”

“What are you doing—“

“Gold!”

“Hm?” Gold turned away from Silver, staring off into the distance. “I’m coming!” He hollered, running off towards whoever called him. He paused mid-run, looking back at him and waving. “See you around!”

What a weirdo. Once Silver got his Pokémon, he’d battle him and show him his place.

* * *

  
  


Half an hour later, Silver was still stationed outside the window, watching the happenings of the lab. The researchers were doing the same jobs they’d been doing moments prior, with a few exceptions. One had tripped and dropped a stack of books while the Professor answered a phone call. It took a minute or two to clean up the mess the first researcher had made, but the Professor was on the phone for the entire thirty minutes.

Professor Elm placed the phone down, finally finished with the conversation. He walked to another researcher, one monitoring a machine, speaking a few moments before leaving.

Silver wondered what the conversation was about. The Professor smiled and used hand gestures animatedly during it, meaning it had to be something the Professor found interesting. The only question was what?

It wasn’t about his missing case though. Relief flooded through him. Running from officers was tiring.

“Ack!”

Another researcher had tripped, with a stack of files this time. Silver rolled his eyes. What incompetent staff. For a Pokémon laboratory, he expected better.

“Oh, are you okay?”

That annoying voice. Silver recognized it immediately and turned his head so fast he smacked it into the window. Ducking, he waited before peering back inside.

The researcher placed the files back into a cardboard box. A boy helped him, picking them up and grinning when they finished. It was hard to see, but the boy donned a bright red hoodie that stuck out in a sea of white lab coats, and his hat was backward.

“There you go, sir!” He said to the scientist.

“Thank you!”

There was no doubt about it—he was the boy from earlier. Evan? No Ethan, but he preferred “Gold” instead.

Gold walked towards the Professor, and in front of the table with the three Pokéballs. Professor Elm talked, going on about how he needed a special task to be done. Silver zoned out once he realized the task was to deliver something between towns. Boring.

His interest piqued when the Professor mentioned Pokémon. They and trainers infested the routes. Delivering an important package would be safer with one with you.

Silver gaped when Professor Elm offered Gold one. Out of the three starters, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile, Gold was allowed to pick one he liked.

Out of all the people, Silver least expected the weird kid that saw him earlier to pick a Pokémon. Pokémon’s strength was related to their trainers. A weak one like Gold would put that Pokémon to waste.

Preoccupied with his thoughts, Silver nearly missed it when Gold picked. It was a fire type, Cyndaquil. He released it and laughed when it jumped into his arms, squealing.

“Hi, buddy!” Gold greeted it. “I can’t wait to be friends! You ready to go on an adventure?”

There were such warmth and honesty in those words. Such joy. Pokémon were tools, not things to befriend. Silver suppressed the urge to gag and watched as the two left the laboratory.

He was definitely battling them now.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Breaking and entering were easier than he expected.

His father and growing up around a criminal organization could probably have been why. Silver waited until the majority of the researchers had left for lunch before making his move, sliding the window open and sneaking in.

The lab was empty, save for a few stragglers buried deep in paperwork. They hardly spared Silver a glance as he walked through. Arceus, no wonder people stole Pokemon.

Approaching the table, Silver reached for the one in the middle. Totodile, the label said, the water type Pokémon. If his calculations were correct, Totodile would be the strongest out of the two remaining Pokémon. Chikorita wouldn’t do good against the majority of the gym leaders, and it would be weak against Gold’s Cyndaquil. With Totodile, he’d have even footing with the gyms and have a type advantage over Gold.

He pocketed the Pokéball. Chikorita’s Pokéball was still there, untouched. Silver reached for it but stopped himself. Chikorita was weak against the majority of the gym leaders and Gold’s starter. It was no use to his team.

With that, he jumped out of the window and ran.

* * *

  
  


The trainers and Pokémon on the route leading up to Violet City were absolutely nothing to his Totodile. It destroyed them in minutes while with only one move. He didn’t bother catching any with their low levels. In the next routes maybe, but for now, they would drag him down.

Gold was easy to spot, his Cyndaquil perched on top of his jaunty cap and a grin on his face as he talked. Nestled in his arms was an egg, which rattled and shook whenever Gold spoke and laughed.

“You’re excited to see the Professor, aren’t you?” He cooed. “I bet when you hatch you’ll be a really strong Pokémon!”

Cyndaquil cheered with him, its back lighting up. Silver took this opportunity to remove his Pokéball and point it at him.

“Hey, you!” Gold’s face changed from laughter to surprise with comical speed. “Battle me!”

“Uhh,” he hesitated, looking up at Silver and his Pokémon. For a moment, SIlver thought he would decline but Gold nodded. “Okay!”

“Totodile, use tackle!” He yelled, throwing its Pokéball in the air.

“Ember!” Cyndaquil hopped off Gold’s hat and onto the ground, and just like that, their battle began.

Their first battle, Silver would note, long after weeks and months and years had passed. Their first encounter, first battle, and how Gold was his first and last rival.


End file.
